Summary

A familiar face to film and television audiences for over two decades, José Zúñiga essayed small but memorable roles in features like "Con Air" (1997), "Mission: Impossible III" (2006) and "Twilight" (2008) while maintaining a host of guest and recurring turns on such primetime series as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000- ) and "Law & Order" (NBC, 1990-2010). Like many character actors, he was frequently cast as a "type" - in his case, as intense, ethnic authority figures on both sides of the law - though on occasion, his compact frame and soulful visage led to assignments outside of his niche, including a hapless romantic in "Next Stop Wonderland" (1998) and a kindly biology teacher in "Twilight." Zúñiga's ability to imbue even the most stock character with nuance granted him the ideal career for a character actor: immediate identification, and more importantly, appreciation by audiences, even those who did not know his name.

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Education

Name

Notes

Spoke only Spanish prior to his arrival in the United States.

Studied law before deciding to become an actor.

Favorite role was the romantic Brazilian in "Next Stop Wonderland" (1998).

His role in "Twilight" (2006) was written as a Caucasian male in Stephenie Meyer's novel.